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14 April 2026

Tag: end-point assessment

Ofqual considers special treatment for new AOs

New apprenticeship exam bodies are next in line for special treatment, after Ofqual hinted that it’s considering a lighter regulatory touch for those that fall under its remit. But established awarding organisations groaning under the weight of increased regulation have begun to complain about double standards. The exams regulator is about to take charge of […]

Assessment organisations still lacking for over 1,300 apprentices

At least 1,300 apprentices are still studying without an apprentice assessment organisation in place, FE Week can reveal. The scale of the problem has improved little since last October, when one former civil servant called the situation “diabolical” and “disrespectful” to apprentices. Analysis of the latest statistical first release shows that 140 of the 1,300 […]

Influential group of MPs demand action over lack of apprenticeship assessment organisations

Government apprenticeship policies have come in for stern criticism in a new report by MPs, that insisted standards should have at least one approved assessment organisation in place before they’re delivered. The sub-committee on education, skills and the economy, formed from the education and business select committees, gave a total of 36 conclusions and recommendations […]

Ofqual boss: lack of end point assessment organisations is ‘not irresponsible’

Ofqual’s chief regulator has said it’s “not irresponsible” for apprenticeships to be launched without an organisation in place to deliver the final exam. Speaking at FE Week’s Annual Apprenticeship Conference this morning (March 24), Sally Collier (pictured above) also said she “didn’t know” if having just half of approved standards with end point assessment organisation […]

Panel debates end-point assessment and RoATP

Concerns about quality and the impact of reforms on social mobility dominated the panel debate of FE and skills sector leaders at the Annual Apprenticeship Conference. Dame Asha Khemka DBE, principal of West Nottinghamshire College and a member of the board of the Institute for Apprenticeship, called for the sector to “work together to find […]

Exclusive: Third largest awarding organisation pulls out of apprenticeship market

Awarding giant OCR has delivered a major blow to the government’s reforms programme by pulling out of delivering final apprenticeship exams altogether, FE Week can reveal. The exam board was previously listed on register of apprentice assessment organisations, as an end-point assessor for the level four network engineer and software developer standards. But an OCR […]

Rule change could price assessors out of running apprenticeship exams

It might not be financially viable for awarding bodies to run end-point assessment exams, after it emerged that they will be forced to base their costs on deals negotiated with employers without their say-so. New rules coming into force in May will set the cost of final apprenticeship exams at a fifth of the overall […]

Employers in three sectors to grade their own apprentices

Employers in the retail, hospitality and travel sectors are actively preparing to exploit a loophole that will allow them to grade their own apprentices, FE Week can exclusively reveal. Our findings have caused concerns that the independence of end-point assessments is being seriously compromised. The rules, which will be upheld by the new Institute for […]